Staff Member

Both. It was pretty clear from even the earliest rumors that the 12" PB was on the way out.

But I agree that the MB doesn't exactly replace the 12" PB. Several of your issues are clearly subjective...there are plenty of people who like the extra screen real estate in exchange for some size and weight sacrifices. (There are plenty who don't like it either.) The 12" PB was often derided as a souped up iBook. Now they really are one and the same.

I think the MBP line is for Pros, meaning the people who need to run the intensive software. I got a 12" powerbook two years ago, expecting to do film editing at a cheaper price. It wasn't that it was slow, but the screen is way too small for pro applications and just about everything.

And also, Apple seems to be boasting their widescreens, so I don't expect there to be another 12" model ever again.

I don't see how they can say its complete.
The PowerMac hasn't been converted to intel yet. I am waiting for that
to decide whether to get it or an iMac. I also wonder if Apple will integrate an isight into their cinema displays.

I'm not surprised. I was hoping for a small MBP until the macbook came out. For better of for worse, I knew the 12'' models had met their death at that moment. As rumors of a widescreen ibook replacement surfaced, it became increasingly clear no MBP small version would come out.

I don't see how they can say its complete.
The PowerMac hasn't been converted to intel yet. I am waiting for that
to decide whether to get it or an iMac. I also wonder if Apple will integrate an isight into their cinema displays.

Click to expand...

They're talking about the notebook line, but I agree it is a little misleading.

If they're very clever, they'll add the iSight the Cinema Display and have it all down one USB cable (along with the USB hub stuff).

That'd be very useful.

At the same time they'd do good to have windows iSight drivers, so that boot camp users can use iSights, and Windows users can buy cinema displays (if they ever wanted to !!)

The 12" PB was often derided as a souped up iBook. Now they really are one and the same.

Click to expand...

Very true. And it could be argued that the black MB is there to fill the gap for those users that want that little bit more, and have that little bit more to spend. (read 12"PB buyers versus 12"iBook buyers).

Unfortunately, the black MB fails in this role because: it still has a plastic case, an odd keyboard, integrated graphics, that screen, and is just as large and heavy as the white MB.

Now... make it aluminium with better options, and it becomes lighter and better than the MB...and people will buy it I'm sure, even for a premium.

The old 12" PB weighed 4.6lbs - moving to Intel should have allowed this to have been beaten.

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